My Path to Psychology by Michaela

My Path to Psychology by Michaela - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I have two sisters. They are the most important part of my life. Being the middle child, I had someone to look up to and someone to be a role model for. The best of both worlds. When my older sister, Emily was in high school, she suffered severely with anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive personality disorder. I no longer had a sister that I could look up to. Emily could not get out of bed, let alone guide her two sisters through the hardships of teenage years.
Instead of grieving who my sister once was, I took to learning about her mental health. I would look through studies, medical websites, meet with a therapist to ask them questions about mental health disorders, and took the psychology classes that I could take in high school. I knew that psychology was the path for me.
This was my way of helping Emily. While I can ever experience her daily struggles, I try my hardest to learn about them the best I can. My goal in life is to always make sure she knows that there is someone there for her, even if it is a shoulder to cry on.
Unfortunately, my sister is not the only one with these troubles. By helping those like Emily, it gives me hope that they can try to return to their normal lives as much as they can. I have seen first hand what struggling with mental health looks like. Frankly, it is one of the toughest battles a person can go through. Nobody should have to go through it alone. I want to be there, for anyone, to help.